SageTV + Fullscreen + Girder Problem

[jsidlosky]

I have a WinLIRC + Girder setup to use PostMessage (I've also tried SendMessage) to SageTV.

I've had this setup for a year and a half now at least.

I don't know at which version it started with SageTV, but at some point my remote has become very unresponsive. (Starting at least 6 months ago).

So today, I decided to check it out. I took SageTV out of fullscreen, and my remote is completely responsive!

I leave SageTV in fullscreen, hit the windows key so I can see the task bar (thus showing WinLIRC and Girder in the system tray), and whala, SageTV is totally responsive with my remote.

As soon as I go full screen again, the remote is heavily unresponsive and laggy. Note, it seems the Keyboard still works fine!

I've tried both Overlay and VRM9, both do the same thing.

I also have two setups, a client and server. Both my client in the living room and my server in the bedroom do the same thing. Exact same behavior.


Why oh why does Fullscreen mean unresponsive reaction to Girder sending commands to SageTV...

I searched the threads, and it doesn't seem anyone else has this issue. Am I alone?

[jsidlosky]

My setup:

Server:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
One (1) Gigabyte RAM (Dual Channel DDR2)
Nvidia 7950GS with WHQL Driver v93.71
Windows XP Professional (All Windows Updates Performed)
JRE 1.5.0.11_b03
Sage v6.1.19 in Server Mode
One (1) 500 gigabyte Maxtor SATA drive
Two (2) AverMedia A180's with Driver v3.5.0.47
One (1) ATI HDTV Wonder with Driver v6.1
Girder v4.0 (Also tried v3.x series)
WinLIRC 0.65
Nvidia PureVideo (1.02.223)
Connected DVI to 50" Pioneer Plasma @ 720p


Client:
Intel Pentium 4 @ 2.4ghz
One (1) Gigabyte RAM (DDR)
Nvidia 6600GT with WHQL Driver v93.71
Windows XP Professional (All Windows Updates Performed)
JRE 1.5.0.11_b03
Sage v6.1.19 Client
Girder v4.0
WinLIRC 0.65
Nvidia PureVideo (1.02.223)
Connected DVI to 57" Rear Projection HDTV @ 1080i

[jsidlosky]

If I hit the Windows key, and the start menu shows, the full-screen SageTV in the background responds great with my remote.

If I hit ESC, thereby keeping the Taskbar visible ontop of the full-screen SageTV but the Windows menu is no longer visible,then the remote gets unresponsive.

I notice WinLIRC in the system tray gets "laggy", stops lighting up like its not seeing commands from my remote.

So, i check the task preferences, and see the WinLIRC defaults to "Realtime" priority... thinking I would maybe raise the priority, its already at the highest.

Girder is using PostMessage, so that shouldn't get hung up.

So Im wondering if somehow SageTV being the only foreground visible window while fullscreen is somehow screwing up WinLIRC, but I dont see how considering WinLIRC is a real-time process.

I tried lowering the priority, no change. I also tried SageTV with 3D acceleration disabled, no change.

[jsidlosky]

I shut down Girder, so only WinLIRC is running.

When doing this, the WinLIRC system tray icon is very responsive when I use my remote no matter what SageTV is in, (Fullscreen or not). Note when its fullscreen, I hit my Windows key then ESC to show the task bar.

So, that means Girder getting the message from WinLIRC then PostMessage to SageTV is causing WinLIRC to hang up.

I am guess WinLIRC is single-threaded application, it is talking to Girder, Girder is sending to SageTV, if SageTV is fullscreen then its not responding to Girder right away (BUT ITS POSTMESSAGE IT SHOULDNT MATTER), so Girder isn't getting back to WinLIRC and then WinLIRC misses the next command from the remote...

Anyone? I am running out of ideas.

[jsidlosky]

So, I know what the problem is, I just don't know how to fix it.

It's actually the size of the SageTV window (The draw area).

If the area is too large, then the video card driver in the kernel spends too much time rendering the display, thus causing the WinLIRC to be starved of CPU time and not able to process the remote IR commands fast enough.

If the window display is a little smaller, then it can process fast enough.

So, the solution.... well, I really have no clue.

It appears SageTV fullscreen @ at least 720p, is useless with WinLIRC, even with awesome hardware.

I have two different configurations and this is the case.

I am assuming most ppl arn't doign HDTV, and if they are, a lot of you are using USB UIRT or something, not a custom serial setup.

So, SageTV @ 720p + WinLIRC = Useless.

So sad.

[mayamaniac]

Do you have Full Screen Exclusive turned on in SageTV (Detailed Setup > Advanced)? If yes, maybe disable it.

[jsidlosky]

Yeah, I've tried FSE on and off (On it's even worse). On with VMR9, off with Overlay.

If I move with the keyboard up and down real fast through the menu items, then try to use my remote, WinLIRC won't even recognize any commands at all.

This is because WinLIRC can't read the serial port fast enough because the video card in the kernel driver is eating up too much CPU time screwing up the real-time nature that WinLIRC needs.

I improved the situation by lowering the baud rate from 115200 bps to 1200bps, amazingly WinLIRC and my remote work at this baud, and it actually really seems to have helped quite a bit, but it still has a ways to go.

I'm wondering what the best alternative is then, MCE IR or a USB UIRT?